Kirjahaku

Anna is starting to think she made a mistake in moving to Hull. Steph sees her city changing and misses her dad. Both are looking for somewhere to call home and something to believe in. And Sheila? She’s determined to bring people together again, the only way she knows how – karaoke! ‘Cause what we need right now is to get up on our feet, grab a mic together and belt out a ballad after a pint or five. From Pride in Poland and Windass at Wembley, to City of Culture and Brexit Britain, Us Against Whatever is an electrifying cabaret about the places we keep in our hearts, with support from Hull’s finest voices – you!

'I didn't expect it so soon, that's all. It made it seem so final, all our lives, those decisions all irreversible, immortalised in a slideshow to a Coldplay track.' Helen is forty when she loses her husband. Her daughter Becca is fifteen when her dad dies. Now it's just the two of them... what do they do next? Unfolding through snapshots of a relationship over forty years, Helen explores the threads which bind mother and daughter together, how they damage each other, and how they come to each other's rescue. A play for two actors – about love, grief, and getting ashes stuck to your trouser leg – Helen by Maureen Lennon was shortlisted for the 2020 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. It was first produced at Theatre503, London, in 2023, in a co-production with Terrain, a company dedicated to promoting Northern artists and the stories they tell.

'I write. I demand. I ask. Not for women to have power over men but over themselves.' Trailblazing writer, feminist philosopher, and fearless campaigner for women's rights, Mary Wollstonecraft lived a life of courage and determination. She dared to defy the conventions of eighteenth-century Britain, and kept going when many wanted to bring her down. Maureen Lennon's play Mary and the Hyenas is a searing tribute to the spirit and resilience of a woman who fought for equality and justice – and an exhilarating dive into history and the birth of feminism. Be prepared for petticoats to be lifted, boots to be stamped, and voices raised in the pursuit of change. Featuring electrifying music by Billy Nomates and performed by a cast of six, Mary and the Hyenas was first produced by Hull Truck Theatre and Pilot Theatre, directed by Esther Richardson, and opened at Hull Truck Theatre in 2025 before a UK tour. This edition includes the full text of the play along with a range of teaching materials and resources designed to help educators bring the play to life for their students.